Archive for the ‘Green Oil’ Category

« Older Entries

Investing the Green Way

Thursday, September 17th, 2009
green oil
elementaryfinance asked:


So you’re green?  You live in one of those houses that is dug out of the side of a hill with solar panels everywhere.  You ride a bike in the summer and drive an electric car in the winter.  You grow your own food, pump your own water, and not one drop of oil will ever be in your home.

While you may not be that green, maybe you believe strongly in reducing your carbon footprint or think that green is going to make you some major green.  How do you invest in green?  What is out there for your money?

There aren’t any green bank accounts but there are green mutual funds and stocks*.  First, let’s look at mutual funds:

1.)    Winslow Green Growth Fund (WGGFX)-  All green.  Companies like Chipotle, Green Mountain Coffee Rosters, and First Solar.  (First Solar is one of the most successful solar companys out there right now.)  Although the management fees are high, this mutual fund has a great track record of success.

2.)    New Alternatives Fund (NALFX)- Almost all green.  This fund also has a very good track record and great management.  Companies like Whole Foods and Owens Corning are in this fund.  This is not a “pure play” fund but still quite green.  (A “pure play” would be any company who has no involvement in anything that isn’t green.)

How about if you are a stock person?  Keep in mind that to find pure plays that are green, you have to go mostly small cap.  (A small company)  Right now, small cap stocks are extremely risky so only invest a small amount of your money (around 10%) in these small cap stocks.

1.)    General Electric (GE)- Not very green.  GE is involved in a lot of industries but they are also one of the largest manufacturers in the Wind Turbine industry.  In fact, Boone Pickens has placed an order for 667 wind turbines for his “Pickens Plan”  Not very green but a good company to anchor your portfolio for the long term.

2.)    Clean Energy Fuels (CLNE)-  Almost all green.  This company builds natural gas fueling stations and provides natural gas to cities and individuals on the west coast.  Although depressed in value right now, this will be a leader if natural gas vehicles become more commonplace.  That’s the bet, though and why stocks like this are so risky.

3.)    Quanta Services (PWR)-  About 50% green.  So, you are Boone Pickens and you have 667 wind turbines in the middle of the United States and you are making bookoo amounts of power.  How are you going to get all of your power to the homes and city power grids?  You call Quanta Services.

4.)    First Trust Global Wind Energy (FAN)- Mostly green.  This is not a stock.  It is traded as a stock and the value changes like a stock but it’s actually a collection of stocks all put together called an ETF.  The fund invests in wind energy companies all over the world.  This is a very risky investment but if you’re in it for the long term, you will make some money.

These are only a couple of the many green companies and funds out there.  Beware! Alternative energy is not currently not popular because the price of oil is so low.  Most of these companies are very low in value.  That may be a buying opportunity but they may have lower yet to go.  Be careful.

So your green and need to invest now?  My suggestion is to look in to a mutual fund or two.  Stocks may be too risky right now but President Obama has been public in his support for alternative energy so many investors are beginning to give green another look.  So get to work, start researching and if you aren’t sure, leave a comment.  We’ll help you!

* Please do not take these as recommendations to buy.  These are names to research or ask your financial advisor about.



Leave your comment »

Posted in Green Oil

Tags:

Living on Green Energy

Saturday, September 12th, 2009
green oil
Andrew Oke asked:


With today’s rising energy costs, and no relief in sight, many consumers are looking to live “off the grid.” Even with an initial investment that can be steep, the benefits make it much more economical in the long run.

There are small and some not so small ways why off the grid living is a good alternative today. Even though the economical outlay can be steep at first, in the long run it definitely makes more sense for the environment.

Raising your own food is a good way to begin living off the grid. This way, you eat organically while being secure in the knowledge that no dangerous hormones or chemicals are being introduced into your animals.

A cow can provide milk, butter and ultimately beef and leather. Chickens can provide eggs and meat, and flavoring for soup stock. Sheep can provide wool for warmth, and lambs for food; while goats are very good milk producers. Once you have a garden set up, you should never be short of vegetables. Canning and freezing is simple and cost effective for greens all winter long.

People that choose to live off the grid usually do require transportation, but with the availability of hybrid cars; and the research towards possible ethanol fueled cars; wanting to avoid oil products is not as much of a hindrance now. The Amish have the best means of transportation with their horse and buggies. Of course, maintenance on the buggies and upkeep for the horses can be time consuming, but the benefit of no oil product consumption is a great motivator. Horses can also be used for plowing fields, entertainment and also as income if breeding is something one was interested in.

Buying clothes is becoming much more expensive these days. Children as young as five can’t go to school in hand me downs or thrift store clothing because they will be teased. When living off the grid, you don’t need to be stylish, and you probably have no desire to be stylish either. Spinning wool from your sheep, and knitting or weaving clothes and blankets is a great way to save money. Of course, these days, handspun wool can be a great income generator, as well as wool products, such as handknit sweaters and socks. Buying fabric from a local merchant is less expensive than buying clothes in a store, and can be just as nice as long as you know the basics of sewing. For some, sewing may be difficult, but that is an easy hurdle to overcome. There is always someone who would be willing to barter, especially if you are located near anyone else who chooses off the grid living. Sharing your talents with others make self sustainable living much more enjoyable.

Generating heat and energy is always a concern for those who choose to live off the grid. There are several choices available, but the initial investment can be steep. Once the infrastructure is setup, there is no reason to pay your power bill monthly, or to worry that you are going to freeze in the middle of the night during a storm. Having your own power supply means freedom from being at the mercy of repair crews in the middle of the night when the power line has been knocked down, and also is much safer. Power is not vital to survival, and life can be enjoyable without it.

There are two power supply options with readily available instructions online. Solar and wind energy can be very efficient, and have the benefit of being much cleaner than coal, oil or gas, and definitely much safer than nuclear power plants. There are several sources of this information available… just search “off grid living”

The Amish community is a good example of living off the grid. They have even been able to integrate into the community without sacrificing their values or their way of life. If more people were willing and able to follow their lead, our carbon footprint would be lessened, and our dependence on foreign oil would be nonexistent.

If we each made some small progress in living green, there would be more people willing to make that next step to move off the grid, and our world would be a much cleaner home for all.



Leave your comment »

Posted in Green Oil

Tags:

The dynamic interrelationship of Coal, Oil, Gas and Carbon

Thursday, September 10th, 2009
green oil
Tyler Green asked:


The dynamic interrelationship of Coal, Oil, Gas and Carbon

(Abhishek Uppal,)

As carbon pricing spreads to new geographies, the interrelationship between coal, oil, gas and carbon becomes more complex. At the simplest level, carbon prices:

diminish demand for fossil fuels at the margin and;

help cleaner energy sources become competitive with fossil fuels.

The correlation between fossil fuel prices and carbon prices will depend on a number of factors - including which fossil fuel is under consideration. There are several scenarios that outline the possible correlation between carbon prices and the prices of coal, oil and gas. In reality, multiple scenarios will exist simultaneously, and therefore overlap and interact. The scenario that dominates will determine the direction of correlation. The key scenarios are:

Supply shocks - these come in two types, both of which imply negatively correlated carbon and fossil fuel prices:

Constraints (peak oil scenario): Fossil fuels are exhaustible resources. Once half of ultimately recoverable crude oil reserves have been depleted, production inevitably will fall, according to traditional peak oil theory. Crude oil production may be near its peak, and natural gas may follow soon after.

Surplus (coal glut scenario): Although other fossil fuels may be more constrained, coal is still plentiful, and the technologies for extracting it are improving. High prices for oil and natural gas may stimulate the availability of coal, and new technologies may in fact make it extremely cheap.

Demand boom (Emerging market growth) - Conservation and efficiency notwithstanding, world energy demand is likely to grow substantially over the next 20-50 years, and much of it likely supplied by fossil fuels, unless clean energy sources can scale up production rapidly. Demand-led scenarios imply positively correlated carbon and fuel prices.

The peak oil scenario (negative correlation for carbon and oil prices) addresses the “other environmental issue” in fossil fuels: their exhaustibility. If it is true that we are facing an energy crisis - increasingly limiting our ability to produce large quantities of fossil fuel on short notice - supply scarcity will drive fossil fuel prices higher. Fossil fuel scarcity and higher prices will create an environment where renewable energy is more competitive as a substitutable energy source and de-carbonization may be self-sustaining.

If energy demand stays constant as supplies dwindle:

Higher oil and gas prices will promote switching to alternatives in transport and electricity markets,

Switching can occur without extremely high carbon prices,

Total oil and gas use will decline, along with emissions from oil and gas.

To the extent that oil and and gas use drives the total demand for carbon, the peak oil scenario implies that oil and gas prices and carbon prices will tend to move in opposite directions.

The coal glut scenario (negative correlation for carbon and coal prices) addresses the possibility that coal may become extremely inexpensive and plentiful as global reserves remain substantial and the technologies for extracting and utilizing it improve in the medium term, bringing more of this resource to market. In this case, better technologies and substantial reserves allow for more coal to be supplied at cheaper prices. Other things equal, the quantity used will increase, driving up demand - and prices - for carbon offsets in a cap-and-trade carbon market. As coal prices collapse, carbon prices move higher to stop a massive shift towards coal use under a cap-and-trade system with a carbon target. Without a cap-and-trade carbon market in this scenario, there would be catastrophic emission consequences.

The emerging market growth scenario (positive correlation possible for carbon and fossil fuel prices) focuses on the recent growth of emerging market energy demand, which, together with industrialized energy use, increases demand for all energy sources. This scenario sees fossil fuel prices rising as well, but, in this case, because of increased global demand. The result is greater fossil fuel use, even at higher prices. With more fossil fuels being used, there is more demand for carbon offsets, and so fossil fuel and carbon prices rise in tandem.

The correlation between carbon and fossil fuel prices depends on which of these scenarios prevails.

The current situation

These scenarios can and probably will happen simultaneously, but the correlation of fuel and carbon prices will depend on which one dominates. Until recently, it looked like the emerging market growth scenario with tight energy markets would be most likely to dominate in the near-term.

However, in the context of market events, as the world moves into a likely recession, energy supplies will come under less pressure in the near-term, and prices are likely to remain lower.

In terms of the carbon price in Europe, the relationship between carbon and energy prices has been a function of the fuel switch between coal and gas leading to a reasonably high correlation between oil prices and carbon prices.

Long-term outlook

In the long-run, the emerging market growth scenario looks most likely to dominate, with peak oil and coal gluts both likely.



Leave your comment »

Posted in Green Oil

Tags:

Important Facts You Need To Know About “GREEN” Oil Changes

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
green oil
Kenny Jones asked:


Everyone knows that it is important to keep oil in your car, and get oil changes. What many people don’t realize, is just how important it is that you routinely change the oil in your vehicle, and what impact that has on our environment.

Most car owners have heard the phrase “change your oil every three thousand miles”. But a lot of drivers ignore these pearls of wisdom, and are stretching mileage to six thousand miles without harming their vehicle and conserving resources at the same time.

A superior synthetic oil blend only uses up to HALF the natural resources needed for new oil production. By stretching out service intervals by double the time period from three thousand to six thousand miles, we again reduce the use of natural resources. Adding an oil system conditioner to your oil ensures longer oil life with extended and improved lubricating ability, as well as increased engine protection against wear and contaminants.

In addition to reducing the amounts of natural oil used, this also reduces the amont of used waste oil for disposal by HALF! Much of this waste oil can be burned in a waste oil heater, further reducing our environmental impact on the planet while conserving natural resources.

One of the main reasons that it is so important to get an oil change regularly is because it helps to reduce the amount of wear that is placed on your engine. The oil helps to lubricate engine parts and keep your vehicle running well. Over time however, the oil breaks down and looses it’s viscosity. When this happens, the oil does not lubricate engine parts as well, and your engine becomes more at risk for wear and tear. By routinely changing your oil, you keep the oil that is circulation through your engine clean, which better helps to protect engine parts. This is very important because it will reduce the overall maintenance costs that you will have to pay over time for your vehicle.

Routine oil changes also help to improve gas mileage and reduce the amount of emissions that your car puts out. When a car receives routine oil changes, it runs more smoothly which results in it burning less fuel. With the rising cost of gas these days, this makes it even more important to ensure that you routinely change your oil as recommended by your mechanic. Additionally, when your vehicle is running more smoothly and at optimum performance, it will emit less pollution which is better for environment.

If you want your vehicle to run properly, have it checked over by a mechanic and get them to recommend how often you should bring your car in for an oil change. While there are many other things you will need to do to keep your car running smoothly, routine oil changes is definitely at the top of the list.

Help save our planet, and save you money, ask your service professional for a GREEN oil service today!



Leave your comment »

Posted in Green Oil

Tags:

Clean Bilges for a Green Earth

Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
green oil
oil asked:


Causes of oil pollution are many. They can range from minor spills from recreational boats to serious oil spills from commercial vessels. Whatever the cause, it leads to serious marine pollution.

Large oil spills come to notice very quickly. Marine pollution authorities therefore respond quickly to clean them up. But minor oil spills that result from pumping oily bilge water overboard or from careless refueling go unnoticed even though they are a major cause of marine pollution, which harms the marine environment.

Several steps have been taken to prevent marine pollution, including laws such as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. According to these acts, the discharge of any kind of oil in the navigable water of the United States that causes a film, sheen, discoloration, sludge, or emulsion on or beneath the surface of water is strictly prohibited and can result in stiff civic penalties.

To avoid these penalties and to prevent further oil pollution here are some preventive measures that will help in keeping the discharged bilge water clean.

• The engine of the boat should be maintained properly to avoid fuel or oil leaks. Oil filters should also be changed often.

• Floating oil, if any, should be soaked up with a sorbent material before pumping the bilge. An absorbent pad or a drip tray should also be kept under the engine.

• During bilge cleaning do not mix detergents with oily bilge water as they can prove even more toxic than the oil. Instead, use a biodegradable bilge cleaner like Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200. This bilge cleaner is environmentally friendly and will not cause marine pollution.

Following these simple preventive measures will not only result in clean bilges but will also result in a green earth.



Leave your comment »

Posted in Green Oil

Tags:

Fuel To burn - Why Oil is going Up & Down

Saturday, August 29th, 2009
green oil
SANJAY KAK asked:


What exactly is deriving oil prices high. Is less shortage of oil, oil production issues or simply demand for oil has sky rocketed. What we see today is only tip of iceberg. The day is not far when we will see oil barrel at $200 or more. While emerging economies are battling with established economies for control of third world oil for growth of business. The nations have started capturing untapped oil market for future expansion, along with current rising consumption of oil is the leading cause of price touching record high. What exactly, we have options for Fuel To Burn beyond Oil.

According to statistic, the America consumed 20 million barrels of petroleum every day in year 2006. This is really a big number but when we look at the numbers of China and India and other emerging economies the situation looks more grim.

 

There is urgency to come up with alternate fuel solution to oil, the world leaders, corporate leaders and environmentalist are working closely to create alternate fuels. The research universities are working tirelessly and corporate leaders are pumping huge amount for future fuel technologies.

We all know oil is made up of fossilized remains of ancient marine plants and animals, we also know this process takes millions of years to convert fossil into crude oil. The problem is there is a long process to get oil, where as demand for consumption is growing every minute in leaps and bounds.

Now the big question is, where do we stand if we run out oil. Already signs are not good. Refineries are running at high out put still not able to keep consumption requirements, Some of the oil rigs are running dry, sure signs of bad days. Some of the oil regions are involved in long conflict, resulting into delay and short supplies. Bottom line we no longer can depend upon on oil as major energy source.

Another factor, why alternate technologies for fuel are being pursued is the risk to environment. The most damage to earth has happened in last century, with explosion of industrial revolution and expansion of industries across all fields has created tremendous impact on global warming. People are able to see changes in environment, changing weather patterns, too much or no rain in different part of world, temperature soaring and glaciers shrinking all are signs of global warming.

The future needs are not only alternate fuel to gasoline but the future fuel has to be clean and no hazard to environment, unlike oil which creates greenhouse gases a prime reason of global warming. The next fuel will be clean, environment friendly, cheap and will be available in all countries. One more thing next generation fuel will help in reducing the tension among nations fighting for oil share.

 

The emerging economies China, India and Mexico are buying or leasing oil fields in Asia, Africa and Europe to keep their counties interest intact. The developed countries are busy in filling their oil reserves to safe guard national reserves. All this fight for oil and fierce competition among nation is bound to create conflict and war. The next generation fuel not only will help in reducing consumption demand but also help in keeping peace in world.

Now we have talked in length about the current issues related in respect to gap in demand supply of oil. Let’s look at alternate fuels available and which one are in research. Read more on Green Energies    ”http://www.fueltoburn.com/”



Leave your comment »

Posted in Green Oil

Tags:

Ethanol Fuel - Lobbyists and the Government Scam Us All - the Oil Companies Profit

Thursday, August 27th, 2009
green oil
Michael Cooper asked:


You’ve heard the hype, the ‘Flex Fuel Vehicles’, the ‘E85 Green Fuel’, the ‘Ethanol Blended Gas’. Oil companies are touting their embrace of Ethanol as them going green, but how green is Ethanol really?

What is Ethanol fuel?

Ethanol is a grain alcohol. It’s also commonly known as Ethyl Alcohol or hydroxyethane. The Ethanol used in fuel for cars is denatured (you can’t get drunk off of it) and is primarily made from corn. This is where one of the largest issues comes from. Growing corn for the Ethanol is not the most efficient use of energy or resources. It costs more to grow and harvest corn than many other fuels. The planting, fertilizing, harvesting, transportation and refining of the corn is actually a net-negative energy expense. Basically it uses more fuel to harvest and truck it around than we get from it.

All cars can burn a mild blend of Ethanol and Gasoline, usually 10% Ethanol and 90% Gasoline. Flex Fuel Vehicles can run regular gas, all the way up to 85% Ethanol and 15% gasoline.

Burning Ethanol made from corn is bad for the environment.

You’re kidding, right? I get asked this a lot. Look it up, though. Don’t take my word for it, check The Google. You’ll find that the only people really promoting using Corn for Ethanol are lobbyists and farmers unions that need to give their farmers something to grow. Interestingly enough, the oil companies have no issues at all with Ethanol as an alternative fuel.

I really didn’t have to look hard or long to find out why.

As it turns out, Ethanol fits nicely with the current refinement and distribution system that the oil companies have in place. Ethanol still takes big plants to refine and the distribution channels to gas stations remains the same. We’re still all stuck burning a fuel that they deliver to us. Sure they don’t have the oil revenue, but that’s getting more and more expensive to obtain all the time. With the government subsidizing corn for Ethanol it’s quite cheap to get. That explains why nearly all fuel at the pump is already E10 (10% Ethanol) or E6 in California.

Give that some thought. Your tax dollars are paying to subsidize the growing of corn that is being sold nice and cheap to the oil companies who are turning around and selling it to you at 40 cents a gallon. That’s right; you are paying twice for 40 cents on the gallon. As the price of gas goes up that will soon hit $1. I can barely fathom a system where we pay the government to give fuel to the oil companies who then charge us for it.

It all goes one step further. The whole notion of using corn for fuel would be a lot more reasonable if the government hadn’t stopped subsidizing the rail lines. Rail can haul cargo with unbelievable efficiency. A train can move a ton of cargo 413 miles on a gallon of diesel. That is compared to the average car which can move 2 tons (with passengers) 30 miles on a gallon of fuel. That’s 680% more efficient, or the equivalent of getting about 204 miles per gallon from your car.

Yet the government has ceased supporting smaller cargo train lines and now millions of tons of cargo is hauled on the highways, wearing them down and consuming much, much more fuel than if it were hauled by train, and they subsidize the industry that does this, and not the one that is 680% more efficient and that is going away.

Completely Ridiculous.

There are some interesting possibilities out there, Soy being one of them. There is a possibility that soy could be used to make Ethanol and Biodiesel, but that is some time away. All the while other, valid fuels are being ignored, or under-researched. One being Hydrogen/HHO conversion from water, and another being advances in solar panels that could drastically increase their performance and our ability to have completely electrical cars.

Though we doubt you really ever believed them, don’t drink in the Oil Company’s kool-aid the next time you see one of their commercials touting how green they are. The diesel fuel it takes to haul that corn to the refinery they own is making them so much money that they are laughing all the way to the bank.



Leave your comment »

Posted in Green Oil

Tags:

Green Fuels - the Facts

Saturday, August 15th, 2009
green oil
Mervyn Rees asked:


(c) 2008 Mervyn Rees

Have you heard about cars that run on peanut oil? Well when Rudolph Diesel invented his engine  the ones we now run on what has become known as ‘diesel’ (Named after him) he ran his on peanut oil.

Nowadays all sorts of vegetable oils are being used to replace traditional diesel and, not least, petroleum. In the UK, a few thousand cars are already being run on used chip oil (that’s the oil that fries/chips have been made in), which, on such a small scale, is a good thing. The issue is, recycled cooking oils in the UK, can only produce about 100,000 tons of diesel per year, and that’s no more than 1/380th of the total fuel used through road transport alone. What, you have to wonder, would happen to the rest?

We’d obviously have to grow oil producing crops in order to run our cars on “environmentally friendly” fuel. Shouldn’t be too difficult, should it? Just plant some fields with rape, and before you know it, you’re turning oil into fuel and our air becomes a lot cleaner.

But is it really as easy as that? Let’s look at the specifics around this.

1 hectare of rape will yield an average of 1.5 tonnes of bio-diesel. In order to run the same number of road transport vehicles as there are today in the UK, rape would need to be grown on almost 26 million hectares of land.

Considering that the UK only has a little less than 6 million hectares of arable land available, where on Earth are we going to grow the rest? That’s it, somewhere else on Earth. Once again the 3rd world countries will undoubtedly end up producing the oil we need in order to run our cars in an “environmentally friendly” manner, while those who farm the land can barely afford to eat, let alone run a car. Better for the environment? Maybe, but better for society as a whole: Definitely not.

And while we’re growing oil-seed on so much of the land, where will our food be grown? Can we really produce the amount of oil needed to fuel the number of vehicles that are found on the road today, let alone in the future?

Then there’s the question of the actual production process connected with bio-diesel. Rape seed doesn’t become bio-diesel of its own accord, after all. The seed will need to be transported to processing plants where energy is used to transform it into something more environmentally friendly than gasoline or other petroleum based fuels. But how much gas and/or electricity will be used to run the machinery needed to process the oil? And how much energy will be needed in order to heat and light the processing plants? And where will the plants be built?

Whether so-called “green diesel” will really be better for the environment is anybody’s guess. We know they won’t omit damaging carbon dioxide, but everything has a price. What price can we afford to pay?

P.S. I have some knowledge of another source of Bio-Fuel supplies that could sort it…

But I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for another article to read about it, and my own ideas are perhaps progressing to. . .



Leave your comment »

Posted in Green Oil

Tags:

Going Green - What’s it All About?

Monday, July 27th, 2009
green oil
Gen Wright asked:


Green: it’s a word we seem to hear everywhere lately. The skyrocketing price of oil and the ongoing debate about the threat of climate change are only two of the factors that prompt people to think about going green.? Nowadays most people, and even some businesses, realize that we humans have an effect on our environment. There’s no getting around it, and that’s why going green can only benefit all of us.

But what is “green”? Ask 10 people, you’ll get 10 answers. Not even the U.S. government has a standard definition, so consumers must decide for themselves based on various definitions and standards created by different organizations. Usually, the word “green” connotes energy efficiency (a “green”? washing machine that uses less water and electricity, for instance) or environmental friendliness (such as paint stripper made from non-toxic materials). You might even be doing something green without knowing it, perhaps to save money. Have you abandoned commercial cleaning products in favor of using the natural products Grandma used, like baking soda, vinegar and ammonia? That’s green, because you’re opting not to use possibly toxic chemicals in your home!Do you put mulch, compost or manure on your garden instead of chemical fertilizer? That’s green, because you’re reducing the amount of potentially dangerous chemicals right in your own backyard! Do you like to shop for bargains at flea markets or secondhand shops instead of buying something brand new at the mall? That’s green, because you’re “recycling”? already-manufactured goods and most likely using up less packaging that would otherwise swell the town landfill! Even large organizations–schools, local governments or corporations–have gone green by switching from paper to electronic billing (less paper used = fewer trees cut down) or by installing solar panels instead of a new oil heating system.

Developers, architects, contractors, local governments and utilities are also getting into “green building.”? Just as individuals go green by recycling and businesses go green by reducing their paper use, those in real estate, construction, and associated fields can ride the wave of environmental awareness by adopting green concepts. Instead of clearcutting a forest in order to lay out a typical subdivision, some real estate developers have turned their talents toward refurbishing older hometown neighborhoods. Contractors can pledge to avoid arsenic-treated lumber or focus on reusing salvaged or surplus building materials. Architects can incorporate the newest energy-efficient technologies into their designs. In many areas, the local government or utility company is happy to perform an energy audit of a home or commercial building in an effort to reduce energy consumption and waste, and they may be able to supply information about green products and services that are good for the budget and good for the planet. Common products in this category include solar energy devices that can lessen dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels (i.e., home heating oil), long-lasting fluorescent light bulbs, or safer replacements for harmful “traditional”? materials such as fiberglass insulation.

Consumers can teach themselves how to go green. You can start small, with something as simple as choosing a product at the supermarket that uses less packaging than the one next to it on the shelf. Congratulations–by making that decision, you’ve just reduced the demand for styrofoam, which has the potential to sit in an ugly landfill for hundreds of years. Or you can think big by trading in your gas-guzzling SUV for a gas-sipping hybrid-electric vehicle. The bottom line is, you don’t have to be rich, a scientist, or a tree hugger to go green! You don’t have to change your lifestyle completely in one fell swoop to go green. Every little bit helps, and every little bit adds up to a lot.



Leave your comment »

Posted in Green Oil

Tags:

"it’s so Easy, Being Green"

Saturday, July 11th, 2009
green oil
Christian Jacobsen asked:


With oil and natural gas prices rocketing, stoking terror of long, cold and and expensive winters, a renewed interest in keeping heating costs under control has has been sparked. Homeowner’s have an ignited passion in understanding energy saving methods. If you’re in this boat, stuck in cold waters, here are some tips for energy saving tricks of the trade.

If you’re living in a home with a furnace that’s more than 20 years old, you may have already attempted the “buy a sweater” method of keeping warm. This is certainly one approach, but these days upgrading your home’s conditioning system is a much better option, and will bode well for you in the here and now, and in the long term, should you decide sell your home. More and more, homebuyers are looking for homes with energy efficient systems already in place. So, think of these upgrades as a long term investment in the resale value of your home, as well a cost efficient and green alternative to your current conditioning system.

Now, with that old choker of a furnace huffin’ and puffin’ away, guaranteed it’s not as efficient as it could be, no matter what fuel type it uses. The newer gas furnaces are mid-efficiency (78-82%) or high efficiency (89-96%). Although the higher efficiency products can cost up to $1000 more than the mid-efficiency products, extra costs will be re-couped in a couple years, as they will burn less fuel. And, you’ll be the greenest frog on the block, sending less harmful emissions out into the atmosphere. “It’s so easy being green”, murmured Kermit, once he upgraded his furnace.

With oil furnaces, there are again, much more efficient products on the market as of late. But, a oil furnace does need to partner with a good chimney, and so this may be an additional cost to keep in mind

Take note, it’s still the case that electric heat is more expensive than oil and gas, although a smart combination of central woodstove heat, supplemented by electric heat can be cost efficient.

Let it Flow: Change Your Filters!

Whether disposable or washable, all forced-air heating/cooling systems use filters. And, these filters need to be maintained and changed. Some filters require monthly changes while other last up to three months, and much depends on the conditions within your home. A dirty filter will restrict air flow and with clogged filters you’re blocking heat that would otherwise be keeping you toasty warm. Do yourself a favor and keep on top of the regular changing of your heat filters. This is a pretty easy way to boost your energy efficiency and cut costs.

Pump it up: Install a Heat Pump

Air source heat pumps are the most common and they are generally used with a back-up heating system. In terms of function a heat pump works by extracting heat from the outside and bringing it in, (in heat mode), and by removing heat from the inside of the house and releasing it outside. ( in cooling mode).

The king of heat pumps, though, are ground and watersource, or geothermal. And while the initial investment may be great, the saving will be substantial in the long run. These pumps will use 25-50% less energy than conventional conditioning systems.

At the end of the day, another simple method to help with soaring heat bills, is to keep an eye on the set temperature levels in your house, What is normally described as room temperature is around 68 Fahrenheit (20 degrees celsius). Of course, only you can decide where to set the dial. But, if you’d rather avoid the ” put on a sweater” method of winter energy conservation, you might consider investing in an improved conditioning system that’ll bring you warmth today, and will be a smart investment in the re-sale value of your home.



Leave your comment »

Posted in Green Oil

Tags: